ESSA:

Highlights and

Implementation Updates

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

• Signed into law on December 15, 2015

• Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

of 1965 (ESEA)

• Replaces the most recent ESEA amendment, the No

Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)

“ . . . to ensure that every child achieves”

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ESSA – General Information

Continued requirement to:

• Assess reading/language arts and mathematics annually in grades 3-8 and once in high school

• Assess science once in grades 3-5, once in grades 6-9, and once in grades 10-12

• Disaggregate results of accountability indicators for all students and subgroups (reporting groups).

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ESEA Flexibility (NCLB Waivers)

ESEA Flexibility waivers expired on August 1, 2016. Except as otherwise indicated by USED:

• States will operate under NCLB requirements for 2016-2017; and

• All provisions of ESSA take effect in the 2017-2018 school year.

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ESSA Focus Areas

1) Challenging State Academic Standards and Academic Assessments

2) Accountability, Support, and Improvement for Schools

3) Supporting Excellent Educators

4) Supporting All Students

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ESSA Accountability Indicators

State accountability systems must address:

Academic achievement;

Academic progress;

Graduation rates;

Progress in English Learners gaining proficiency; and

School quality.

Virginia’s state plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by March 2017.

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Changes to EL Accountability

• ESSA replaces “Limited English Proficient” (LEP) with “English Learners” (ELs).

• EL accountability moved from Title III to Title I.

– Data on school accountability indicators must be disaggregated by the EL reporting group.

– Long-term goals and interim measures of progress must be established for ELs in making progress in achieving English language proficiency.

– ELs will be included in reporting group for 4 years after reaching proficiency in English.

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Comprehensive Support and Improvement

• ESSA requires identification of at least the lowest 5% of Title I schools based on performance for all students, and all high schools with a federal four-year cohort graduation rate below 67%, for comprehensive support and improvement.

• Schools identified for targeted support and improvement due to low-performing subgroups (reporting groups) may also be identified for comprehensive support if they fail to improve over time.

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ESSA requires identification of schools that are:

• Consistently underperforming –– any school with one or more consistently underperforming subgroups (reporting groups) of students; or

• Low-performing – any school in which one or more subgroups (reporting groups) is performing at or below the summative level of performance of all students in any school identified for comprehensive support,

for targeted support and improvement.

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Targeted Support and Improvement

Report Card Requirements

• Reporting on academic achievement levels on state assessments will include:

o Children of military parents

o Foster children

o Homeless students

o Migrant students

o Gender categories

• Reporting must also include school quality, climate, and safety data; teacher equity data; and per pupil expenditure information.

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Educator Reporting Requirements

• Teacher equity data (proposed regulations):

– Report annually the rates at which low-income students in Title I schools and non-low-income students in non-Title I schools are taught by

» Ineffective teachers

» Inexperienced teachers; and

» Out-of-field teachers

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VDOE ESSA Website

Virginia Board of Education Public Hearings

• The Board of Education held public hearings in July and August in Manassas, Williamsburg-James City County, Abingdon, and Lynchburg

• For more information visit: http://doe.virginia.gov/news/educational-initiatives/index.shtml

• Comments are continuously accepted at BOE@doe.virginia.gov

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Additional Opportunities for Stakeholder Involvement

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• The ESSA Stakeholder Engagement Webpage provides the following announcements and resources:

– Public Hearings

– EL Roundtable

– Teacher Effectiveness Roundtable

– Accountability Roundtable

www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/essa/stakeholder-engagement/

Questions or comments about ESSA may be sent to:

ESSA@doe.virginia.gov

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